Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-26
A FATAL WRECK.
LOSS OF THE SCHOONER CLARA on
LAKE MICHIGAN.
Caught in q Heavy squsll-The Crews
Battle for Life Only One Reaches
Land-Hungry Thieves.
[By telegraph to tho pIspatch.I

CHICAGO, August pa special from
Miller, Ind, reports the first fatal
wreck Of the season. The schooner
Clara, of Manistee, was driven ashore
Yesterday, and her wreckage is strewn
along the beach for miles. Captain
Olsen, her master and owner, anu one
of the sailors lost their lives, and John
Gustavson, the mate, escaped by swim,
ming ashore on plank. The vessel
was bound for Chicago with cargo OF
bard lumber She left Manistee Mon
day morning with light wind, but
toward night a squall swept down upon
her from the northeast, jerking her
head sails out of the bolt-ropes and GRIP
ping her so she became unmanagaole.
All night long she staggered before
the gale that kept increasing IN vio-
lence. The sea ran very high and the
waves swept her decks of everything
movable. She arrived off Chicago IN
such a disabled condition that it was
impossible to work her into the harbor,
and she was driven up the lake. Real
izing that she was soon to be on the
beach. Captain Olsen let go the anchor
when abreast of this place, but her
fukes failed to hold, and she dragged
on the sand.bar half mile from shore.
Tie seas kept dashing over her, and
her crew Of three men were compelled
to climb into the rigging and lash
themselves to keep from being washed
away.
In less than an hour the coverings of
the matches were carried away and the
sea swept into the hold, filing it to the
deck. Then she rolled over on her side
and Hans Christensen was carried away
on the crest of wave. Captain Olsen
and Gustavson got hold of plank. 1t
was raining hard and the night was so
dark they could see nothing, but they
chung to the plank with the hope that
the waves would push it onward to the
beach. Gustavson says he heard
loud cry, and on looking behind saw
the Captain had relaxed his hold and
was even then disappearing beneaththe
waves. He was unable to help him and
The Captain went down. Gustavson
does not recollect much about his bat
tie for life. Three times the plank
turned over and buried him in the wa
ter, but he hung on to it and was
dashed, bleeding and senseless, on the
sandy beach. When he regained his
senses he was lying on his back with
rain pelting down on his face. There
was not house in sight, for the
village lies three miles back from
the lake. Naked, bruised, and bleed
ing, he made his way along the
beach to the clubhouse of the Calumet
Shooting Club. He had Just enough
strength to give feeble rap on the
door, and when it opened be fell faint
ing across The threshold. He was car
ried inside and kindly cared for until
he recovered sufficiently to relate his
story, and after being provided with
clothing took the train for Chicago.
before leaving Gustayson went down
TO the beach to see what had become OF
the wreck. He found that it had
broken up, and the broken timbers and
cargo were scattered in every direction.
The Captains chest. which GustaysOn
says contained large SUN of money.
was found, but it was broken open and
the contents were missing. Gustayson
thinks the chest had been rihed by
thieves. Neither of the bodies have
been recovered. All day and night a
crowd of men from the village have
been on the beach gathering up the
cargo as it drifted ashore and hauling
1t away. Benjamin Langolis, of the
Chicago life saving crew, who came
down here with reporter, says he
never saw such hungry lot of thieves
around a wreck in his lie.